Electric iron



June 12, 1928.

1,673,708 L. REICHOLD ELECTRIC IRON Filed Sept. 4, 1926 .......`a- ....f j] Z7 jg www /y June 12, 1928.

L. REICHOLD ELECTRIC IRON Filed sept. 4, 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 12, 1928. y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUDWIG REICHOLI), OF WINSTED, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE FITZGERALD MFG. COMPANY, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC IRON.

Application filed September 4, 1926. Serial No. 133,611.

This invention relates to certain `new and useful improvements in electrically heat-ed irons, and more particularly to the assemblage of the constituent parts of such de- 6 vices.

In electric irons it has heretofore been customary to provide a Hat heating element which was located between two cast iron plates of substantial mass, which absorbedV the heat. The lower of these plates constituted the shoe of the iron or was rigidly connected thereto. Such i ns necessarily consume an appreciable amldimt of current uselessly for heating the upper plate.

According to the present invention, these two plates are dispensed with, and a hot chamber is formed by a trough in the shoe, and a cover and guard which are substantially insulating, and maintain a cool top. It may be here stated that calorimetric tests show that for like current consumption, the iron constructed according to this invention dissipates more heat at the bottom and has a correspondingly cooler cover plate than with 25 irons of the aforesaid prior type.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of an electric iron having a removable heating element which may be easily and simply removed and inspected, and if necessary replaced, Without the interruption of any electrical connection.

Another object is to provide a novel heating assembly in such irons.

Another object is to so construct the iron that it is readily and quickly heated by the heating element, and yet preserves a cool top structure and handle.

A further object is to simplify the constituent elements of the iron, and thereby facilitate their manufactureand assembly.

Still another object of the invention is to providesuch irons with a mechanically protcctiveguard for the prongs of the electrical terminals; and to associate with such guards a stand member to support the iron so that its bottom heated surface is out of contact with a base.

Further, another stand member is connected to the body of the iron in mechanically rigid relation thereto, to cooperate with the first member to form a standard for the iron when in tilted position.

With these and other objects in view as will appear in thev course of t-he following specification and claims, in the accompanying drawings one illustrative form of the employment of the invention is shown.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the assembled iron.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shoe or base member of the iron.

Fig. 3 is atransverse section through the ssembled iron, substantially on line 3-3 of 41ig. l.

Fig. 4 is a section of the guard-stand detail on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a similar section of the bodystand detail on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an end View of the heater element assembly as removed from the iron.

In the drawings, the shoe or base member 10 has the usual smooth bottom, and at its upper side the ribs 11 which coalesce in a front bridge 12 to form a U-shaped ridge deliniug a trough to receive the heater element assembly. At the rear ends-the ribs are bevelled as at 13 to receive the feet of the heater element, The ribs at the outward sides are at first substantially at right angles to the base, and then at a lower point are directed obliquely outward at 14 to serve for conducting the heat to the shoe proper. But-tresses 15 are located along the ribs for a purpose as more closely set forth hereinafter. The top of the shoe proper or bottom preferably has a peripheral horizontal surface 16 of a width sufficient to receive the cover plate, so that a neat and smooth surface is afforded at the exterior for its whole area. l

A guard plate 17 of sheet metal is punched and formed so that it rests against the buttresses 15 and upon the upwardly projecting lugs 18 of the ribs 11, so that it 1s supported substantially out of contact with the bulk of the shoe, and thereby does not conductively receive any considerable quantity of heat therefrom, and an air insulating layer is disposed between the members.

A cover plate 19 of thin metal is appropriately formed to correspond with the surface 16 of the shoe; and form therewith the body of the iron; and is arched and chambered to receive Within it the ribs and guard plate 17. Opposite the lugs 18, the cover plate is pressed downward to form supporting flanges 20 with apertures therethrough. The screws 21 are passed through these apertures and corresponding ones in the cover plates and into threaded holes in the lugs 18 themselves, thereby holding the shoe, the guard and the cover plate in rigid assen'ibled relation to each other in a simple and effective manner. The flanges 20 and the general spacing of the coverplate 19 from the guard plate and the shoe assure against a direct conduction of heat from the shoe to the top of the iron, and permit maintaining a substantially cold top at all times.

The first stand member is composed of sheet metal bent to form a V-stirrup 22,

l which may be perforated for lightness and decorative effect; and which has at the free ends the studs 23 which are passed through suitable apertures in the cover plate and riveted or clinched into rigid assembled relation therewith.

the terminal prongs for the current connector, and guards them against mechanical injury. The rear wall of the guard 27 is extended in a curled linger 28 which consti-1 tutes a second stand member, and cooperates with the first stand member 22 when the iron is tilted backward to support it against movement, and holds the hot bottom surface out of possible Contact with articles which might be injured thereby. The preferred method of attaching the guard 27 to the strap 24 is shown in Fig. 4 as consisting in forming the guard of sheet metal, with the ends 27a., when the guard is curledinto sleeve-like shape, extending outward or forward, and engaged in a slot in the strap 24. These ends are then clinched or riveted to assure a fixed assemblage.

The heater element preferably employed with this iron is described and claimed in my copendiug application, Ser. No. 133.610, tiled Sept. 4, 1926; and reference is made thereto for a complete description thereof. Suiiice it to say that the element has a resistance wire 30 wound on an insulating support 31 surrounding a core bolt 32: insulating and spacing disks 33 hold the wire away from contact with the trough, and aid in alining the element. At the rear end, a bracket 34 establishes a firm electrical and mechanical relation with the bolt 32 and one prong 33 of the connector. A base plate 35 is insulated from but mechanically rigid with this bracket, and in turn carries in insulated relation to itself the second terminal prong 36, which has attached thereto the rear end of the heater wire, while the front end of this wire is connected to the bolt 32.

TheV feet 37 on the base plate 35 fit against thc bevelled surfaces 13 ofthe ribs, to aline the heater in the trough: it is possible to ad- ]ust the position of the bracket along the bolt 32 by the nuts 38, and by means of a slot v 34a to receive the bolt 32, the radial distance between the bolt and feet may be regulated. In this way, it is possible to accurately adjust the heater elements so that an inexperienced person may quickly and cheaply effect a repair of a disabled iron.

' 75 The neck 39 of the base plate 35 is fitted by burning out, the screws 21 are removed,

the cover plate` 19 lifts off easily, and the guard plate l17 is removed; thus exposing the heater assembly. For this purpose, only the screws 21 have been 1oosened;and all electrical connections are undisturbed. The heater assembly may now be lifted or slid out, and inspected and repaired as set forth in my aforesaid copending application: this assembly is held rigidly together, and has no loose parts.

The replacement of the heating element is accomplished by sliding the new heater element into the trough until the feet37 encounter the bevelled surface 13: the guard and cover plates are successively placed in position, with the protector 27 about the terminal prongs: the screws 21 are then insertedI to hold the assembly ixedly together,

readyfor connection and use. O

It is apparent that the inventlon is not limited to the illustrative form employed, but that it may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. In an electric iron, a shoe having upstandard ribs thereon forming a trou h, said ribs terminating in a bevelled sur ace, an electric heater element loosely located in said trough, a. base plate mounted rigidly on said element and insulated from the heater Wire thereof and adapted to bear against said bevelled surface to prevent movement of said element in one direction along said trough, and a cover plate to enclose said trough and element and to cooperate with said base plate to prevent movement of said element in the other direction.

2. In an electric iron, a shoe having upstanding members thereon to form a trough, an electric heater loosely located in heat radiating position in said trough, a guard plate, said guard plate and shoe forming a hot chamber forl said heater, a coverplate held in spaced relation with said guard plate and having an aperture therein, terminals on said heater, a base plate supported on and insulated from said terminals, said base plate fitting said aperture, and common fastening means for said guard and cover plates to secure them rigidly to said shoe and to hold said cover plate on said base plate to maintain said heater against movement.

3. In an electric heater, a shoe, a guard plate forming a hot chamber with said shoe, an electric heater in said hot chamber, said heater comprising an electrically'conductive core bolt with a surrounding member to iiisulatedly support the heating element and having rigidly attached spacing and insulating means to space said element from said shoe and guard plate, an electric terminal member rigidly and electrically connected to said bolt, an alining member supported on and insulated from said terminal and coopeiating with said shoe to aline said heater therein, a second electric terminal member supported on and insulated from said alining member, and a conductor connecting said second terminal to one end of said heating element, the other end being connected to the bolt so that the rigid unit assembly of heater parts may be disengaged from said guard plate and shoe Without interruption of electrical connections.

4:. In an electric iron,` a shoe having upstaiiding ribs thereon forming a trough, said ribs being spaced from the sides of the shoe, sloping vertical proJections on the outer sides of said ribs terminating short of the sides of the shoe, an electric heater element located in said trough, a guard plate supported on the upper surface of said ribs and having its downward extending skirt resting upon said projections whereby the skirt is maintained spaced from said ribs to form a heat insulation, a covei'plalc supported on said guard plate opposite said ribs and enclosing said skirt and projections and being spaced therefrom, and common means to hold said cover plate and said guard plate and said shoe together.

5. In an electric heater, a supporting bolt, a resistive heating element mounted on and insulated from said support, means on said bolt to space said element from a surface, a base late having feet to prevent movement of said bolt along said surface, and ineinbers connecting said base plate and bolt` said members incorporating means for adjustment of said feet axially and radially of said bolt.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

LUDWIG REICHOLD. 

